Held Above Oblivion
by MoffandAvencore
Summary: "Al, let go! You'll die!" A story where Ed figures out he's not the only one who will make sacrifices to save a brother. Set before Trisha's death. Child!Ed Child!Al. No yaoi, or Elricest. This is not a character death story!
1. Clubs

Set before Trisha's death. Anime or manga universe. (no yaoi or elricest).

Alphonse watched wearily out the window as the grey clouds continued to roll in the late afternoon sky. He rested his cheeks in his palms, trying to keep his head from turning over his shoulder. He pulled the hanky away from his bruised nose, the bleeding had almost stopped.

_Well, that's good. Good thing Ed held back a bit...ok, a lot._ Al thought.

He silently wondered if he really punched Ed as hard as the thought he did... A twinge of guilt shook him, but he didn't move a muscle, still pretty mad from the fight.

His golden haired, older brother sat on the opposite side of the room, flipping through a picture book. The other students stared at the boys, happy to find a distraction from their math lesson. Ed appeared completely engrossed in _The Princess of the Dawn_, but Mrs. Ramsey new better, considering this was Ed... and it was a, so called by him, 'girl' book. The teacher sighed heavily, pulled her red hair back over her shoulder. She turned to see the students staring, and cleared her throat authoritatively. The students quickly whipped their heads back their work. Mrs. Ramsey gracefully moved to the back of the room where Ed sat, sparing Al a glance. She folded her skirt under her knees and crouched in front of her student. Ed didn't look up, but she smiled at him.

"Ed? Do you know why I punished you?" Ed's brow furrowed and he glared at his little brother, who was despondently staring at the sky. Normally, Ed wouldn't consider 'time-out' a punishment, especially since he would normally be studying useless math. But, under the circumstances...he wasn't exactly happy to be here reading books instead. The teacher tilted her head, waiting for an answer, and Ed looked back at his book.

"...He started it." Al's shoulders tensed, and he almost turned around, but refused to look at Ed out of sheer spite. Mrs. Ramsey sighed heavily. She turned to Ed, who was pouting again. She gently took the book from him and Ed let it go submissively.

"Now," she started shutting the book with a snap, "what's going on?" Alphonse turned to speak, but she quickly held up a finger,

"Ed first, please." Al pouted indignantly and turned around. Ed smirked at him and turned to the teacher.

"See... there's this club house we found...me and Jack, Teddy, and...uh..."

"Roger." Alphonse grumbled.

"Yea, Roger. Me and them..." Ed continued.

"_We_." Mrs. Ramsey corrected. Ed rolled his eyes and continued,

"_We_ fixed it up and stuff, and Al wanted to join." The teacher squinted quizzically,

"Why didn't you want Al to join? You're always playing together." Mrs. Ramsey was pretty surprised. Al was like Ed's shadow, his right arm, why was Ed excluding him all of a sudden? Al rasped his voice into a mocking pitch,

"Because it's only for _big _kids." Ed curled his fist,

"Well it is! I don't need you around all the time! I can have friends!"

"I'm only a year younger than you!"

"Still counts!"

"**Boys.**" The teacher commanded. The boys both turned, red and steaming. She turned to Jack and the other boys, who only shrugged innocently. Mrs. Ramsey turned to Ed,

"How's your arm?" her tone was gentle. Ed blushed and rubbed his nose,

"Fine." Alphonse felt the pang again.

Mrs. Ramsey put her thumbs to Alphonse's nose and clicked her tongue,

"Make sure you have your mom look at that." Alphonse nodded obediently. A few drops of rain tapped the window pain, and she tightened Ed's scarf,

"Make sure you get home soon. It looks pretty nasty out tonight." Edward blushed as Mrs. Ramsey's fingers brushed up over his shoulders. The kids giggled behind their fingers. Everyone knew Ed had a crush on Mrs. Ramsey, even Al, though, he pretended not to notice; Ed's pride was pretty fragile. Ed and Al pulled up their hoods and walked out into the cold air. The wind was blowing pretty hard, but the rain wasn't too bad. It was getting pretty dark though, Al would probably trip... Ed stuck out his hand behind him,

"C'mon, Al." No response, no familiar pudgy hand wrapped in his fingers. Ed looked behind him, Al wasn't there. He looked around, and found Al taking the path back behind the playground. Ed felt irritation flare up in him,

"Al!" Ed called. Al turned around and put his hands to his mouth to echo the sound through the wind,

"Don't worry, Ed! I won't follow you **anymore**!"

"What...? You idiot! Stop play-"

'_Ed...?'He called me...Ed.  
_

_Oh man. _Ed felt his heart take a swan dive to his toes. Al only ever called him by his name when he was scared, or really, _really_ pissed off. Al turned on his heel and ran the opposite direction. _Call him you idiot! Go get him!_ Ed's instinct shouted for him to run. To take his brother by the shoulder and shout apologies until he took his hand again.

"Hey, Ed!" Ed turned at the sound of voices. Roger, Teddy, and Jacob stood there in their jackets and gloves. Ed spun towards them,

"H-hey." They approached him, pulling on their hoods to keep them up.

"I see you finally got rid of the pest." Teddy laughed. Ed's temper flared, and he balled a fist. Roger threw his arm around Ed's shoulders,

"Well done, kid! You're a member!" Ed's eyes widened in surprise,

"Really?" _Why do you care?_

Jack sniggered, "Hell, yea." Jack was the only kid besides Ed who cussed in public, which gave Ed one foot in the door in his book. Ed put his hand behind his head, mimicking Al's habit,

"Hey... you said Al couldn't join, right?" His voice was quiet the others had to strain to hear,

"Yea."

"Then why did you pick me?" The boys looked at each other flabbergasted at the depth of the question. They weren't about to tell him it was because he was the only one small enough to sneak in and out of the teacher's lounge with snacks...

"Well, because your obviously the coolest one...I mean..." Teddy stuttered.

"Cool?" Ed questioned.

"Yea! You can do that flashy, transformation stuff...!" Jacob smiled. Teddy and Roger quickly laughed in agreement.

"You mean you picked me because of my Alchemy?" Ed asked, suddenly flattered.

"Absolutely! I mean, your obviously the smartest one in school! You're the brains of our outfit." Roger encouraged. He looked to the other two boys for support, but they just scowled. Ed didn't notice. He puffed out his chest with a new found confidence,

"G-guess we better get home, huh?" The other boys nodded and agreed, and they walked up the path. Ed looked back over his shoulder, Al was out of sight. Roger threw a burly arm around Ed, and the boys laughed. Ed, stayed quiet.

_I don't need you around all the time...I don't need you around...I don't need you. _

Ed cringed at the words, he'd never said anything like that before. That was really...really...

_I won't follow you **anymore**! _

Oh, man. Oh...man.

AN:/ Feedback is encouraged! I know what your probably thinking, why in the world would_ Ed_ do that?! A little OOC, right? Well, try to remember this is before Trisha died, so his connection to Al was a little less severe. He's also around 8 or nine, right? So he is pretty young and insecure. I did terrible things to my siblings when I was that age, even though I loved them more than life. Try to bare with me, it'll get more exciting.


	2. Into the Rain

Edward grabbed the icy handle and pulled the door with a hard grunt as the wind threatened to shut it again. He squeezed into the crack before the door slammed behind him with a loud bang. He tightened his fingers and wrung out the water soaked into his scarf, panting from his struggle against the storm. He looked around the room, lit by candles, gas lamps, and thankfully a roaring fire. Ed smiled brightly and ran to it, whipping off his coat. He sat by the fire, and stuck his feet by the flames, letting the warmth seep through him from bottom to top. He chuckled contentedly and leaned his head back.

"Ed, have you seen-what happened to your arm?" Ed's eyes opened to see his mom standing above him, her hair falling past her face as she leaned over. Worry was pressed in her eyes. Ed's stomach churned,

"A-ah- nothing! I was just playing with Al-" Ok, that wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a whole lie either. He stood abruptly and crossed his arms in a confident fashion,

"Have you see him?" Trisha's eyes glistened with panic,

"You haven't seen him either?" Ed's heart stopped as a crack of thunder shook the ground. Mother and son whipped their heads to the window and watched the black clouds swirling up above as the tempest threatened the night. Ed swallowed,

"He...he didn't come back?" Ed whispered. Trisha's lips hardened into a determined line and she stood,

"Did you two have a fight?" Ed lowered his eyes with shame,

"...Yes."

"And you left him out in the rain?" Ed's mind flashed back to see Al's golden hair fading into the fog, as he left him behind, in the arms of idiots. Ed felt the keen sting of guilt ripple through him, he couldn't look at his mother, who was no doubt glaring at him.

"Yes." He shut his eyes, expecting shouting, a punishment, anything! There was only silence. He looked up at his mother, who was eye to eye with him now. She didn't look angry, she just looked...ashamed. Ed felt like crying. Trisha stood and grabbed her coat off the hook. Ed ran to her,

"W-where are you going?"

"To find your brother." She said sternly.

"Let me go! I'm the one who lost him!" Trisha put a hand on her son's shoulders,

"Stay here where it's safe. I'll get him back." she kissed his forehead, and pulled the door open with a determined tug. Ed stood completely hollow as the wind swirled into the house, blowing out three candles in the process. He ran to the window, to see his mom, calling out for her son through the wind. Ed's hands began to shake, his eyes began to sting.

_This is all your fault. If you had just ran after him none of this wouldn't have happened. Now your family is in trouble..._

Ed clenched his fists, he couldn't let this happen. He couldn't just sit here and do nothing! His eyes gleamed with a decisive fire as he furiously tried to figure out where his baby brother could've gone.

_Where does Al usually go when we fight? The barn, Winry's, and... _Ed felt the blood rush from his face_...the river. _He quickly shook the thought from his mind. _No he wouldn't do that in this rain. He knows it's flood season. Right?_ He clutched his arms to keep them from shaking, as he ran to his coat. He grabbed the soaking garment and threw it over his shoulders.

_Sorry mom, but I can't let you do this alone. _The door once again opened and closed, and the two Elrics went into the storm.

* * *

Ed clutched his jacket and held it tighter around him. His amber eyes glowed through the storm as he trudged through the wind. The rain stung his face as he covered his eyes with his sleeve. He breathed in sharply and called,

"Al!" Ed could barely see seven feet in front of him from the thickness of the fog. It was like a thick, swirling, grey darkness...and Al hated the dark.

"Alphonse!"

* * *

Ed fell to his knees, the storm was getting worse. The cold stung him; the coat made almost no difference now. He tightened his arms around his torso, desperate for warmth. Suddenly, the lightning cracked and the thunder boomed. Ed covered his head with his hands and screamed,

"Al!" his voice was cracked, and not as loud as it was when he started. He rubbed his throat.

There was no where left to look, he had looked everywhere! He shut his eyes against cold and breathed into his hands, _They're probably both home right now...or they're looking for me. _Ed grunted and pushed himself wearily onto his feet,

"Damn it, Al."

He looked up, the falling rain was creating large streams flowing down over the grass. He rubbed his face with his fingers, looking for light. _I must be pretty far off. Where am I anyway?_ He trudged onward, the uphill climb making his legs ache. Wait...uphill? He looked up and strained against the fog as he hurried his pace.

He neared the top of the hill, and came upon a familiar sight. A broken down shack, with freshly nailed metal planks covering the roof. The windows were broken, but covered with red tablecloth drapes. The shack was suspended on the slope of the hill by a rickety suspension of wooden boards and planks. It creaked and groaned under the pressure of the storm as the rain slid around the ground it sat in. Ed sighed in relief, if this was the club house...then...he turned to his left, at the bottom of the hill was Hannah Bell Gorge; a large trench dug into the earth, where the river used to run.

Ed wiped the sweat from his forehead, if he had kept walking down..._phew._ He tightened his scarf and walked to his club house. He couldn't walk anymore like this, he needed to wait 'till morning to get home. He climbed up the walk and into the club house. He opened and slammed the door with a thud. The wind still flowed through the windows, but it was better than being in the full brunt of the rain. He slid down to the ground, leaning against the door as he tried to catch his breath. He had never felt so tired. His limbs were heavy as his eyes, and both felt like led. Sleep looked really, **really** good. He shut his eyes and leaned his head back...

"B-brother?"

AN:/ Yay! Another chapter! Thanks for the reviews, feedback is encouraged!


	3. Stumbled

Ed's eyes flew open and he sat up at the sound of his brother's voice. Al was lying down in the corner, curled up like a bean. His hands sat by his mouth, which was dry and cracked. His cheeks were flushed with red, and beads of sweat rolled down his face. Ed's blood ran cold.

"Alphonse..?" Ed crawled to his brother and tore off his gloves. He placed a small hand to his brother's forehead, then to his, then to Al's, comparing the temperatures.

"Damn it! You have a fever!" Al smiled tiredly,

"I could've told you that...dummy." he spoke between shallow breaths. Ed wasn't listening. He threw off his coat and gently wrapped it around Alphonse, rubbing his brother's arms in warming motions. Al glanced at Ed, his eyes were angry, but his lip was quivering. Al tried to push the coat away, insisting brother needed it, but Ed just replied,

"Shut-up and take the coat." Ed sat Al up and leaned him against the wall. He had no idea what to do, Al had gotten sick a bunch of times before but their mom always took care of him. Ed racked his brain, trying to remember how to take care of a fever:

_Blankets...water...what else?! Think!_ The only thing Ed had ever done when Al was sick was what his mom told him...and that was always just one thing..._hold his hand._ Ed blushed and hardened his mouth determinedly. He roughly took his brother's hand. Al flinched under the tightness of his grip, but welcomed the familiar touch. The two sat in silence, Ed tried not to look cold, and Al tried not to look as sick as he felt. It was a tense silence, both of them stewing in their guilt. Al looked at his brother, whose mouth was set in a hard line. He sighed,

"Brother?" Ed looked at him, his eyes kinder than before.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Al said. Ed's face crumbled into a softer expression,

"W-why are you apologizing?"

"You looked for me...for a long time, right? You must be pretty cold." Ed's eyes opened in surprise...but then he laughed,

"Nah!" he shouted. Al smiled. He knew his brother was lying but strangely enough, it made him feel better. He shut his eyes and leaned his head back, welcoming rest. Ed rubbed the back of his head. _Do it now, idiot! Apologize! He's laying here sick, and it's all your fault._

"H-hey, Al? I wanted to say sorry for earlier, those guys were real jerks and...I shouldn't have yelled at you and- Al?" He looked to his brother, who had fallen asleep.

_Your kidding! _Ed was about to shout, but he looked at his brother's face...quietly sleeping with a light frown, flushed from a fever...and he lost all semblance of nerve. He put another hand to his brother's head, and quickly pulled it away. _He's burning up!_ Ed shook Al lightly,

"Al...? Hey, Al!" Al squinted his golden eyes open and scowled,

"_What_?" Ed sighed with relief. Al sleepily rubbed his eyes and sat back up. The sky flashed with white and the ground shook with another fresh boom of thunder. Al stared at the window anxiously, but Ed just looked at his brother.

"Al?" Al looked at his brother questioningly. "Hold still." Ed put a hand over Al's lap, and one on his back, and leaned his head over his brother's chest. Alphonse blushed at the sudden embrace,

"Brother?!"

"Shh!" Ed shut his eyes and strained to listened. Al peered down at his brother's hair..._Still wet? He must be freezing!_ Ed listened to the beats of Al's heart, which were steadily growing faster and faster. This wasn't good. Ed lifted his head, almost hitting Al in the nose. He stood and dusted off his pants, Al rose to his knees,

"Brother?" Ed turned and smiled. He stuck out a reassuring hand,

"Come on, Al. We've gotta get home." Al's eyes widened,

"In this weather?" Ed looked out the window and put his hands to his hips,

"It's still raining pretty bad, but the fog has cleared up some. I can get us home." Al squinted disbelievingly, but Ed shot out his hand again. His face fell into a serious expression, the one that made him look a lot older than he was,

"We've gotta get home. It's no good if mom comes home and we're both missing."_ Not to mention your sick as a dog_. Al sucked in a gasp at the sudden realization, and nodded. _Mom must be worried sick about us!_ he thought. He took his brother's hand and Ed took his arm to steady him,

"Can you stand ok?" Al smiled,

"Yea, I'm ok. I just feel sleepy." Al handed Ed his coat, and he took it with a concerned glance. Al took hold of his brother's sleeve, and Ed opened the door. The rain was thick and heavy now. The porch of the club house creaked and cracked under the flowing water. Ed looked down at the grass,

"Wow..."

"What?" Al asked.

"It's a good thing we're leaving. Looks like the supports are coming out of the ground...see?" Al rose to his tip toes and looked out onto the grass. The dirt surrounding the beams were now soggy puddles. The water ran down the hillside and into the gorge in large flowing streams. Al cringed. Ed nudged his brother with his elbow, and the two started to walk. Ed walked cautiously over the flowing water that reached his ankles a couple paces ahead of Al. He was soaked to the bone, even with his coat on. Ed turned to Al,

"Hey Al, watch your step ok?" No reply. "Al?" Ed turned to see Al who was standing with his hand to his chest, harshly coughing. He looked tired and in pain, like someone had just hit him in the gut. "Al?" Ed called. He started towards him, when his ankle turned with a sudden pang. Ed's foot caught on a rock, jerking it sideways. Ed slipped, Al looked up.

_Al..._

And Ed fell.

The next thing Ed realized was the world was turning in circles as he rolled down the hill. The gorge was slowly creeping forward every time Ed's face raised up off the ground. Someone was screaming somewhere... Al maybe? Ed threw out his arms, but the rain was just too thick. With no friction, and no way to slow down, Ed went spiraling down toward the chasm. He quickly reached the edge and Ed felt the left side of his body fall take a sudden drop over the edge. There was the sick feeling of vertigo, shock, nausea, and mind numbing fear.

_This is it, I'm gonna' die._

Then pain.

Ed felt his arm nearly dislodge out of the joint as a sudden pull held him in midair,

"ARGH!" Ed screamed as the pain rushed up his shoulder and shut his eyes against the hot needles being poked into him from all directions. He bit his lip against the shock of the sudden suspension. What did he get stuck on?

"B-Brotherrrr!"

Wait.

Ed's eyes struggled open to the sight of a familiar pudgy hand clawing at his wrist. Al was hanging, one hand wrapped around a scraggly branch that jutted from the Cliffside, the other around Ed's soaking wrist. Al's body stretched with the weight, and his face folded into one of sheer agony.

Ed forgot his pain.

"A-AL!"

Al's limbs shook with the stretch as Ed hung limply from his hand. The rain was coming down hard and soaked through his clothes. Al tightened his fingers as he felt the water soak under his palms. Ed gazed up with disbelieving, and utterly terrified eyes; he couldn't help but picture Al's muscles splitting and tendons tearing under the pressure and strain. Al just tightened his grip, blinded to the tearful face of his brother,

"D-Don't worrrry...I-I've got you!" he screamed.

A:N/ This part has an illustration! Take a look and tell me what you think!

Go to Deviant Art and look up Held Above Oblivion by Sent16. It is also the book cover, so you can look at it that way.  
(How do you add a direct link? I tried copy and paste but it didn't work.)


	4. Held

Al's fingers tightened, his lips curled in a defiant groan as he held on for his brother's life. Ed swung gently back and forth with the wind as he tried to hold his body completely still. Al groaned and clenched his teeth, shaking under the force of gravity. Ed turned his head down, against his better judgement, to look. The rain had gathered into a stream of rushing water over jagged rocks. It crashed and sprayed against the walls of the once dry gorge. Ed swallowed, and tightened his grip on his brother's wrist.

"I've…never been that good of a swimmer." Ed piped nervously. Al just grunted in agreement, beads of sweat rolling down his fevered face. Ed's mind raced, they couldn't just hang there forever...could they?

"Hey, Al?"

"Yyyea?" Al groaned.

"I-I'm gonna, raise my other hand...and grab your wrist, ok?" Ed said, trying to keep his trembling voice steady.  
Al wanted to protest, but his hand was getting extremely tired.

"O-ok. Go a-ahead."

"Don't let go, ok?"

"Nu-uh." Al shook his head.

"I'm gonna get us out of here."

"Uh-huh." Ed inhaled, and raised his arm. Al but his lip to keep from groaning, as Ed clamped another shaking hand around Al's wrist.

"You good?" Ed called. Al nodded. Ed sighed, _Thank goodness the branch is…_

**CRACK**

_Shit_.

Ed and Al reared their heads towards the branch, which had grown a large crack spreading down the middle of the limb. Al looked to Ed, eyes wide with terror,

"T-the branch…"

Ed's figure shook with the sudden realization. They were going to fall.

**C-CRACK**

Al screamed as his body jerked downwards with another tear of wood. The branch tilted under the weight and Al's fingers bled as he roughly clutched the broken bark. Ed's heart threatened to fly from his chest as his beats matched his panicked breathing.

"Brother?" Ed's breathing halted, his gold eyes turned upwards and he looked to his little brother. His life line. Al's body was strained, but his face was completely still. Tears rolled down his pale cheeks and hit Ed's with an unwanted warmth against the cold. "Are we gonna'...? W-what about mom?"

**CRACK**

The branch held on by a few dear threads and Al began to swing with the looseness of the branch. Ed looked at his brother's anxious face stained red with tears, fever and blood dripping down from his hand. _This shouldn't be happening._ _It's my fault we're here in the first place! If I had just included Al..protected him, this never would've happened!_ He looked to the branch, it wasn't going to hold them both...Ed's brows pinched, his voice trembled,

"Let...let go of me."

Al's breath was all but spent, he turned to his brother. "What'd you say?"

Ed's eyes softened and one hand loosened on his brother's wrist,

"Let go of me." Al's eyes opened wide, his breathing stopped, his face went pale... "What?" This time he heard, but didn't believe.

"Al." Ed's face hardened, Al looked at his older brother. His face was stone cold, his grip strong. His eyes spoke volumes.

He was serious.

Dead. Serious.

No...

Al inhaled and screamed as loud as he could, "HELP US!"

* * *

Two men trudged through the rivers of mud and rain streaming down the dirt road. The older one tightened his fist around his crinkled coat and raised another boot out of the puddles,

"Damn, rain." The younger one smiled, taking delight in his friend's misery.

"I told you moving here was a bad idea for you, Daren. It always rains this time of year."

"But not like this! It hasn't rained like this in years!" The older man grunted. "And now the bridge production is going to be stalled until the water filters out of the gorge. Don't you know what that means, Joe?"

"What?"

"It means I don't get paid!" Joe rolled his eyes when a sudden high voice called out from the rain,

"Excuse me!" Both men turned to see a pale beauty with long brown curls running towards them. Daren tipped back his hat and squinted observably,

"Hel_lo_." A sudden elbow hit his gut and he bent forward,

"Be polite." Joe scolded. Trisha Elric ran forward and stopped to catch her breath, it was obvious now that she was distressed,

"H-have- you seen…t-two blonde…boys? About…this…tall?" She said gesturing to her waist. The men turned to each other, trying to think back,

"Um…no. Are you alright, ma'am?" Joe asked. Trisha had gone back to the house after a fruitless search for Al, only to find Ed gone.

"My boys… are missing." Daren's face fell with concern and sympathy, he too had a son. He put a hand on her shoulder,

"Where was the last place-"

"Sh! You hear that?" Joe shot out his hand to silence the noise. The three adults strained to listen, as a shrill shriek rang through the air, quiet under the sound of booming splashes and occasional thunder.

A whisper reached their ears, _"Help us!"_

Trisha shot forward, stumbling through the rain, her eyes set in a ferocious stare forward. The two men stumbled after her,

"Hey, wait!"

Trisha trudged up hill, when a large creak brought up her gaze. The two men stopped beside her. They were on the top of the hill, staring at a clubhouse flooding with water. Daren put a hand to the back of his head,

"What the hell?" Joe shrugged in disbelief,

"You didn't permit any construction on this area, did you?"

"No! The bridge sight is about 100 feet down that way."He said gesturing down stream. "If anyone fell, they would go straight to the…" The wood of the club house screamed as the wooden support beams suddenly caved. Trisha jerked back with a shriek as the entire porch of the clubhouse disconnected with a crash and hit the ground. The three watched in shock as the mass of wood that had once been the porch began to slide towards the gorge over the wet grass and falling water. The rubble reached the side, and a deep instinct within Trisha's suddenly came alive.

"Wait!" she called. The rubble did not obey. It crashed over the edge with a sickening moan, and a shrill scream rang through the air.

"NYAAH!"

Trisha's blood ran cold. Everything stopped. A spark in her eyes lit into a roaring flame at the cry of her child,

"EDWARD!"


	5. Let go!

**Thanks to all my followers for the great encouragement!**

Ed's eyes softened and one hand loosened on his brother's wrist,

"Let go of me." Al's eyes opened wide, his breathing stopped, his face went pale... "What?" This time he heard, but didn't believe.

"Al." Ed's face hardened, Al looked at his older brother. His face was stone cold, his grip strong. His eyes spoke volumes.

He was serious.

Dead. Serious.

No...

Al inhaled and screamed as loud as he could, "HELP US!"

"Al! No one's coming!" Al's breathing grew more rapid as he looked to his brother, who was unbearably calm.

Ed's face hardened, this wasn't going to be easy, and the last thing he wanted to look was scared. "Al." he started. "It won't hold us both!" Al turned from Ed, refusing to look in his pleading eyes. Anger flared in Ed's chest,

"Look at me!" Al slowly turned, obedient to the command. His honey eyes were wet with tears, and his lip was trembling furiously. Ed's heart suddenly felt unbearably heavy. It was hard to talk around the lump forming in his throat,

"Al... you have to let go of me. You don't have to die." Ed thought Al couldn't get any paler, he was wrong. Al's face bleached, his lips were almost blue from the cold and fever. He was already shaking, pushing himself so far. He would have to drop him soon; his body couldn't take much more. Ed felt tears sting his eyes as he shut them,

"Just let go, Al. This is all my fault. I'm your big brother and it's my job to protect you-"

"SHUT UP!" Ed's looked to Al. His face was pinched into a determined stare, his lips curled into a sneer, his eyes were alight with an unfamiliar fire. Ed suddenly felt...very small.

"You think you're the only one who can sacrifice himself?! You idiot!" His fingers tightened around Ed, his grip returning.

**CRACK**

The branch wasn't going to last much longer. The thunder rumbled as the lightning echoed across the valley.

Ed's chest heaved with an unwelcome sob as he stared in horror at his baby brother. "I don't care what happens to me!" Al shouted, "As long as I have the strength, I'm going to protect you, Brother!" Ed was bawling now. This wasn't fair. Ed was supposed to be the one to protect _him_! Why was he acting like this now? It wasn't fair! Al was supposed to be the one to live! Ed let his fingers go lax, releasing Al's wrist. He kicked his legs, struggling to break free. Al screamed at the very top of his lungs, desperate,

"STOP IT! ED! STOP IT!"

"Let go!"

"No!"

"You'll die!"

"I don't care!" that was a lie. Al cared very much that he would die, but he had never pictured a life without Ed right by his side...and when he did, it hurt a whole lot worse. The boys both cried. Hard. The tears streamed down their faces as they fought against each other, both impetuously trying to save the other. Al's nails drew blood form Ed's hand as he began to slip from Al's grasp. Ed kicked with all his might, but a sudden creak stopped them cold. The two boys looked up, out of breath and deathly scared. A sudden heap of wood came peeking over the edge.

Ed's heart stopped. _The club house._ Al and Ed both swallowed and the lumber took a dive over the edge, straight for them.

Alphonse shut his eyes, and let go.

The world slowed.

Ed felt the warmth of his brother's fingers slip from his hand as he went spiraling down into the rushing abyss. He reached for his little brother's back, which was above him, also falling as he let go of the branch in a last attempt to save them both from the falling lumber. The planks came spiraling down in the speed of less than a second. Al's body was lost amongst the rubble. Scattered planks and exposed nails littered the air where he once hung.

And Ed screamed.

"Edward!"

_Mom?_

Ed's body hit the water with a dull splash and the lumber came down in a heap on top of the water.

Ed's body tumbled and turned under the force of the rushing water. He reached desperately through the force for something to grab. His boot hit the dirt and he urgently pushed upward. His face came above the water with a gasp for air. He coughed and sputtered, kicking and flailing_. Not that great of a swimmer? Yea right. I can't swim worth beans. _Again his golden head was lost under the blackness of the water. He put his hands to his mouth, desperate to keep it closed. He reached his toes for the ground but the river just pushed him onward. He was getting tired. He felt two times as heavy. His chest pinched and screamed with agony for air. Ed's body hit a rock with a hard scrape against this side, sending him in a spiral. Ed only thought of oxygen. He was sure now that air had a taste.

He shut his eyes.

Something grabbed his collar, and Ed grabbed it furiously, trying to climb for air. The hands turned into arms, and a solid body. Ed was all instinct as he desperately held the body and pulled it under.

Then pain.

A fist hit his cheek with a dull thud under the water, and Ed went still. The hands pulled, and Ed's head broke the surface. He inhaled deeply, sweet air filling his empty chest. He relied on the arms now. His mind didn't even register whose they were. Ed's body was roughly pulled, his head bobbing in and out of the water. A hard surface abruptly met his back, and his body was slowly being pulled out of the water. Ed didn't even notice. The hands pulled his shirt desperately and slid him over the boulder, and dropped him once they reached the middle. Ed's vision went hazy, his breathing slowed as well as his heart. He was so tired. A pale silhouette filled his vision, and sound poured from it,

"Hey, kid? You alright? Hey, stay awake!"

Ed welcomed the darkness.

A:N/ Sooo, yea. I'm going to be switching back and forth between the past and present, and different views of the present, etc. Hope you're enjoying!


	6. Alphonse the Protector

Al's body hit the water along with two giant planks of wood. He went under with a final inhale, and struggled desperately against the current. He shot out his hand and it thankfully hit a large piece of wood. Al grabbed it furiously and pulled his head out of the water. He coughed and spluttered as the board carried his body farther downstream. His limbs felt lax and numb with the cold as he clutched the board for life. His head felt like it had been split open as a sudden flash of pain went down his face. He reached trembling fingers for his head and brought them before his eyes. He gasped at the sight of his blood._ I must've gotten hit on the way down. _A sudden voice called from above,

"Alphonse!"

_Mom?_ Al's heart did a flip in his chest as his eyes raised upwards. His mom was running along the Cliff-side with two other men he didn't recognize.

"Mom!" Al called. Trisha's face was wide with panic, but she ran hard, trying to keep up with her sons. Al kept his eyes on his mom, as she faded in and out under the white foam of the splashes.

Trisha fought to keep her footing as she ran along the cliff side. The two men squinted into the dark to catch sight of the other boy,

"There he is!" Joe pointed a finger to a blonde head bobbing back under the waves. Trisha shot forward in a sprint,

"Edward!" Al heard his mother's cry and shot his gaze forward just in time to see Edward falling back under the waves. _Brother!_ Al strained his sore arms and began to kick his legs. He pushed the board along with the tyrannical river when his body jerked with a sudden stop. He looked at the board. He was stuck between to large, jagged rocks. He pushed, but it didn't break free.

"Hey, kid!" Alphonse looked up, a man was bending over the edge of the gorge wall. Al's vision was getting hazy, but he blinked hard to keep it clear. "Stay there!" the man called. _I'm fine! Save brother_! "B-brother..." Al's words were quiet and slurred.

The man called to the younger one beside him, "I need to get some rope!" Joe shrugged,

"Where are you going to find rope?!"

"I think I can get some at the bridge sight. Stay here!" Daren stood and made off for the sight in a mad dash. Trisha kept moving downstream, shrieking her son's name,

"Edward!" Alphonse shook his head to clear the fog,

"...Brother." He looked ahead, his heart pounding against his chest. He caught a glimpse of something blonde sink farther down the water...Ed was drowning...

Brother was dying.

Al took a deep breath, and Joe's eyes widened,

"No, don't!" Al let go, and sank under the water. It was cold, harsh, overbearing. He opened his eyes, and saw a large red and blonde blob hit the side of a black blob. Al kicked and pulled his body forward as the blob grew larger. With a pull of his weight, he broke the surface and grabbed his brother's collar. Ed's body shook with a sudden jolt and he spun furiously. Al tried to pull his brother off as he clawed at him. Trisha watched in horror as her boys tumbled down stream, fighting with each other.

This couldn't happen.

She clenched her fists and stepped forward. Joe looked at her anxiously,

"Miss?" She reached the edge, sank to her knees, and put one leg over. He shot forward and grabbed her arm. Trisha struggled against his grip,

"Let go! I have to get them!"

"You can't climb down there! The rocks are to heavily strewn! If you fall, you'll break your neck!"

Trisha hit the man's arms, but he held fast.

"Please! Please let me go!" she cried.

"Look!" Joe pointed to the river. Trisha turned to see Al pulling a limp Ed over a large bolder that sat in the middle of the river. Trisha felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she leaned forward,

"Alphonse!" Al released Ed with a thud and fell to his hands and knees. Trisha pulled on Joe more furiously, "Let me go!" Joe held her fast,

"Please, Miss! My friend is already heading down there." Trisha turned her gaze to Daren, who was running back from the construction sight with two armfuls of rope. He tied one end to a nearby stump in the ground (which his company had yet to remove, thank God) and walked to the edge. Joe gave him a concerned glance, and he nodded reassuringly. He smiled at Trisha,

"I'll get them." Joe gasped and lifted his palm to the sky,

"The-the rain." Trisha looked to the sky, the rain was beginning to stop. Finally.

Draren reached the edge of the river, which was still flowing pretty hard. He cautiously climbed onto a rock, and then to another. He almost slipped a few times, but kept his balance over the slippery surfaces. He climbed over the edge of the large boulder and looked at the boys. Both of them were unconscious, but the smaller one had his eyes slightly open. He knelt down next to him and put a hand on his chest,

"Hey, kid? You alright?" The child's golden orbs began to close, and he shook his shoulder,

"Hey, stay awake!" It was no use. Ed's head fell to the side and his eyes shut closed. Daren raised his hand, which covered most of the boy's chest, to Ed's heart. It was beating steadily. He was breathing deeply. "He's fine!" he called up to the mother. Trisha sighed with passive relief and pointed to her other son,

"Check Alphonse!" Daren turned to the taller boy with darker hair. He was laying flat on his stomach, his head displaying a small gash running down the right side of his scalp. The man turned the boy over and hissed under his breath,

"Oh man, kid." He was pale, almost ghostly. His breathing was rough and short as it heaved his chest in desperate gasps for air. He unbuttoned the boy's soaking coat and gasped sharply at the sight of long, purple bruises running from his wrists down his chest. His hands were also covered with cuts peppered with dirt.

He placed a hand to Al's forehead, gently avoiding the cut. He was burning up.

"Oh, hell."

Daren stood and pulled more of the loose rope out of the river with a determined tug. He picked up Alphonse and put his on his back. "Joe, get down here!" Joe grunted and stood. He quickly grabbed another yard of rope and tied a second knot around the tree stump. He climbed down the rope, a little more awkwardly than Daren, and eventually reached the boulder. Trisha watched anxiously from the surface. Daren gestured to Ed,

"You carry the little one." Ed twitched subconsciously.

Joe hoisted the child onto his back and, through a series of knots and ties, both boys were fastened securely.

Trisha waited on the edge of the gorge, watching the two strangers climb back up the rock face with her kids. She put her hands to her mouth as they came back over the edge and she caught sight of her boys. They were pale, expressions of distress plastered on their faces. She ran to them, and helped the men untie their bonds. The boy's fell into Trisha's lap with a thud and she fell back onto the ground. She clutched them close to her, pulling them tighter and tighter into her. She bent over their faces, letting her loose hair fall over them as she shut her eyes and tears spilled onto her golden children. Daren bent over, catching his breath. "They're alive. But we need to get them out of the cold." Trisha nodded, and apprehensively released her boys into the arms of the men. They helped her stand,

"My house is this way." She turned wiping her eyes. They followed her obediently, wrapping their fingers protectively around the children. Daren whispered into Al's ears as he pressed a cloth to his blonde head,

"Don't worry, kid. You did good."

A:N/ Almost over, my friends. :,( Thanks for your continued support! I wuv you all. :3


	7. Promises

_I don't need you around all the time...I don't need you around...I don't need you!_

_I DON'T NEED YOU!_

_"STOP IT! ED! STOP IT!"_

"ALPHONSE!" Ed shot up in bed, the moonlight was shining through the window. It bounced off his blonde hair and the white drapes as the swayed. Ed clutched his chest, his heart was beating too fast. He was out of breath. _What's going on?_ He reached a trembling hand for his forehead and wiped off the beads of sweat. He let his head fall into his hands as he shut his eyes. _Focus, come on...it was just a bad dream... What was it about again? _He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, there was no way he was falling back asleep. His throat was dry, he looked at his bed side table. There was a glass of water sitting there, right where his mom always put it.

_"Let go!"_

_"No!"_

_"You'll die!"_

Ed choked on his water as the glass fell to the floor with a crash. It all came back at once. Al...the river... Ed threw the blankets off and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. A sudden sharp pain spread up his side and he bent over with a quiet curse. He lifted up his shirt to reveal a large purple and yellow bruise spreading up his side.

"Damn."

He pulled his hand around his side and stood on the floor. It was cold and it sent a shiver up his spine. He clutched the bruise, finding it a little hard to stand. He grabbed the bed post for support as he made his way to the door.

He took the cold knob and pushed the door open with a loud creak. The hall was dark, except for the light coming from the kitchen downstairs. Ed rapped his arms around himself and quietly crept down the hall. He stepped down a couple of steps and peered over the railing. The sight made him smile with relief. His mom was sitting by the fire, shoes on with a towel over her hair, snoring soundly. He chuckled under his breath, and climbed back up the stairs.

The last thing he saw was his brother being swallowed by a mass of wood and dust before he hit the water. _How did I get out of there anyway? What if Al... _Ed shook the thought from his mind and awkwardly crossed the hall, stumbling slightly as he went. His bruise brought a new wave of sweat he brushed off with his sleeve. He reached a hand for his brother's door, and hesitated. Part of him didn't want to know if Alphonse was ok, to just stay oblivious. He shut his eyes, and opened the door.

He looked.

Al was laying in his bed, utterly still. The room was lit with a few candles, and the moon shone over the bed sheets.

Ed's eyes widened. His blood ran cold. His figure shook with the sudden possibility that Al..._no, mom wouldn't be sleeping!_

"...Al?" Ed's voice was quiet, a broken whimper. He took a step forward, then two, then three until he reached his brother's side. Al's face was calm. Really calm. Ed's hands were shaking violently as he reached out a hand to his brother's cheek. His fingertips brushed it tenderly.

Warm.

Ed sighed heavily in relief and rubbed the worry off his face.

He put his hands on the bed and climbed to Al's side and leaned over his still frame.

"Al?"

The image of his brother's pained, distraught face as he held him above the water burned his brain. He wanted to scratch it out. "You ok?"

No reply. It was painful to see Alphonse so still like this. He pushed the hair away from Al's face, which revealed a white bandage wrapped around his head, stained red above his right eye. Edward hissed under his breath, and looked a little closer at his brother's chest. It was wrapped with strips of white cotton gauze. Ed wanted to hide from his brother's unmoving face. He tucked his hair behind his ear and, almost too gently, leaned over his brother's heart...just to hear the sound.

The traumatic night played in his mind, Al's desolate eyes, his body sinking into a mass of ruble...a pair of hands pulling him out of the water.

"Was...was that you?" Ed asked quietly. Al just sighed a raspy breath. Guilt stabbed Ed's heart and he bent his forehead into Al's shoulder.

"This...this is my fault." Ed trembled as quiet sobs were torn from him, "I'm so sorry, Al." Ed's fingers tightened around his brother's hand, the one wrapped in bandages from the cuts he made, as his heart tightened.

"...Al, little bro, wake up."

Alphonse's honey eyes slowly opened as a wet substance dribbled into his hair. He looked to the weight pressing on his shoulder to see his brother...crying? Al's breathing quickened as he slowly raised his free hand, and gently laid it on his brother's head.

"Brother?" Al spoke between deep, raspy inhales. Ed contritely looked up at Alphonse, his fingers tightening around his hand. Al smiled sleepily, "What's the matter? Are... you ok?"

Ed chuckled under his shaking breath, "What about you?" Al patted his brother's head,

"I'm ok, Brother." Ed's lips trembled and he lowered his gaze. Al's eyes pinched with worry,

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Ed shook his head as another cry escaped him,

"I hurt you, Al...I-I'm so sorry." Al tightened his fingers around his brother's hair in a loving tug, a lump forming in his throat,

"What do you mean?"

"I should've stood up for you, with those other guys. I didn't mean to..."

"This isn't your fault. We had a fight. We got lost and we fell, that's all. Ok?" Ed wasn't convinced, but nodded. His hands were shaking as they tightened around Al's. Al smiled comfortingly,

"I'm ok. I'm just tired, is all. You must be too, right?" Ed actually didn't notice how tired he was until Al pointed it out. Then, he felt exhausted. Ed nodded tiredly.

"Do you wanna go back to bed?" Al asked, suddenly feeling much older than Ed. Ed shook his head, and Al sighed,

"Ok, then." He shut his eyes, and quickly fell asleep. Ed shut his eyes and inched closer to his brother, _I'm so sorry. _

_..._

The sunlight danced along the dew stained grass as Trisha filled up the basin with water. She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes.

"What a night." She mumbled. She took the basin in her hands and climbed the stairs to Al's room. She opened the door, and stopped short. Ed was sitting by the bed, putting a wet rag to the sleeping Al's head, and gently massaging the bandages with his free hand.

"E-Ed?" Ed turned sharply, making him wince with the sudden motion. "Mom!" Trisha ran forward and set down the basin to lift up Ed's shirt. "Are you alright?"

"Are _you_ alright?" he replied. Trisha took a rag and put it to her son's purple side as he held back a pained shout.

Trisha's brow furrowed, "You shouldn't be walking around with a bruise like this."

"I'm fine, Mom." Trisha looked to Alphonse,

"Have... you been watching him all night?" Ed blushed and rubbed the back of his head,

"No." he lied.

Trisha smiled gently and probed her son's bruise. "You don't have to worry, Ed. His fever broke last night." Ed nodded and smiled.

"Are you ok?" Ed looked up,

"Hm?"

"Were you scared?"

"Uh...I..." Trisha looked at him closer as he hid his eyes. "I...thought Al could get out if he let go of me. He had to let me fall. And...I scratched him. I kicked him. H-he was screaming... so loud." Trisha wrapped her hands around her son's shoulders.

"I just..." His face fell behind his bangs, and Trisha pushed them out of the way,

"Ed?" He threw his arms around his mom's neck and she stumbled back,

"Ed!" He hugged her tighter, his body shaking,

"I was...I was scared, mom." Trisha steadied herself and wrapped her arms around Ed.

"I know. I was scared, too. It's ok now, I've got you." Ed sobbed quietly and Trisha picked him up. She sat on the bed next to Alphonse.

"Look." Ed turned to Al, and couldn't help but smile at the color in his cheeks.

"You know he saved your life." Trisha said. Ed sighed,

"Yea...he's a good brother." Alphonse stirred in his sleep. Trisha kissed her son's head, "You both are. Ed..?"

"Mm?"

"Promise me something, ok?" Ed's head cocked to the side quizzically as he looked his mom in the eye,

"Promise you'll never leave your brother again, no matter what happens." Ed's eyes narrowed, his lips pinched in a hard line,

"I...I promise." Trisha rubbed her son's head, "That's my little man."

"_Brother_." Trisha and Ed turned to Al, who was wriggling in his sleep. Ed reached out a hand for Al's arm and smiled confidently,

"Right here, Al."

...

A:N/ The end! Thanks for reading! Leave me some feedback on what you thought! Cyber hugs for all my followers. :3


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